Welcome

Welcome to the POZ/AIDSmeds Community Forums, a round-the-clock discussion area for people with HIV/AIDS, their friends/family/caregivers, and
others concerned about HIV/AIDS. Click on the links below to browse our various forums; scroll down for a glance at the most recent posts; or join in the
conversation yourself by registering on the left side of this page.

Privacy Warning: Please realize that these forums are open to all, and are fully searchable via Google and other search engines. If you are HIV positive
and disclose this in our forums, then it is almost the same thing as telling the whole world (or at least the World Wide Web). If this concerns you, then do not use a
username or avatar that are self-identifying in any way. We do not allow the deletion of anything you post in these forums, so think before you post.

The information shared in these forums, by moderators and members, is designed to complement, not replace, the relationship between an individual and his/her own
physician.

All members of these forums are, by default, not considered to be licensed medical providers. If otherwise, users must clearly define themselves as such.

Forums members must behave at all times with respect and honesty. Posting guidelines, including time-out and banning policies, have been established by the moderators
of these forums. Click here for “Am I Infected?” posting guidelines. Click here for posting guidelines pertaining to all other POZ/AIDSmeds community forums.

We ask all forums members to provide references for health/medical/scientific information they provide, when it is not a personal experience being discussed. Please
provide hyperlinks with full URLs or full citations of published works not available via the Internet. Additionally, all forums members must post information which are
true and correct to their knowledge.

Author
Topic: oral sex and genital warts (Read 2112 times)

My HIV positive boyfriend and I have been intimate since we met about five months ago, and I've been trying to learn as much about the virus as I can in that time. We went to see his doctor together recently and his viral load is extremely low (less than 10 copies/mL if I remember correctly? I didn't know exactly what that meant but I understood that it's very good...). Regardless, we continue to pratice safe anal sex.

I'm a little worried that I'm being too relaxed about our other sexual practices, though. My boyfriend has HPV and has very clear genital/anal warts. The anal warts he's had removed, but the genital warts we're waiting on for another two months. I just recently started giving him oral sex without a condom, which I understand would be very low risk normally since his viral load is low and he never ejaculates in my mouth--but could my contact with the genital warts affect my risk of contracting HIV? Likewise, should we be having anal sex at all (even with a condom) if he still has genital warts on his penis?

Like I said, I just want to make sure that these genital warts don't multiply my risk of contracting HIV when I perform oral sex on him. I read that viral loads can be higher at the location of an STI on the body and not necessarily in the blood--since that's what's going in my mouth, I'm concerned. Any help would be appreciated!

lpd, you should not be giving him oral sex without a condom while he has warts on his penis. The virus that causes genital warts (HPV) has been implicated in various oral cancers. However, the warts will not increase your hiv risk - but do you want to risk oral cancer?

Likewise, the warts will not increase your hiv risk during anal intercourse, provided he is wearing a condom.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

totally agree with Ann here. You don't want to have HPV in your mouth. Wait until your partner wart is completely gone before oral sex without condom. You don't want to have unnecessary risk to your health.

Thanks for the tips--this is just what I wanted to know. One more question: is it safe to touch him in that area while we're being intimate? I realize that statistically speaking I might have HPV already, either from him or a previous partner, but I'd hate to spread something from his penis to my own penis or anal region with my fingers or hands (ex, if I touch his penis and then later insert my fingers into my own anus). I know that with HIV this risk is virtually non-existent, but what about warts/HPV?